Food waste collections set to launch in Adur and Worthing from September
Released: Monday, 03 August 2026
A phased roll-out of weekly food waste collections in Adur and Worthing will start from September this year.
The additional weekly collections are being introduced as part of the government’s Simpler Recycling programme that will boost recycling rates and benefit the environment, with food waste collected in Adur and Worthing set to be recycled into renewable energy and fertiliser used by local farmers.
From this August households in Adur and Worthing will begin receiving two new containers for recycling food waste - a small internal caddy to use in the kitchen and a 23-litre grey bin with an orange lockable lid to use outside.
Flats will receive an internal caddy and a shared 140-litre wheeled bin with an orange lid to be kept in communal bin stores.
Along with the new containers, residents will get a leaflet explaining how to use the new service and a roll of compostable liners to help get them started.
The new service is easy to use, simply requiring residents to empty any leftover food, like plate scrapings, peelings and tea bags, into the new kitchen caddy rather than their general waste bin.
When the kitchen caddy is full, the contents should be emptied into the outside food waste recycling bin ready for collection every week.
Current collection days will not change for residents. Food waste will be collected weekly on the same day as either recycling or general waste bins.
Once collected by one of our specially designed smaller collection vehicles, food waste from homes across Adur and Worthing will be transported to a processing plant near Horsham, operated on behalf of West Sussex County Council.
At the plant, the waste will undergo anaerobic digestion, a process that converts waste into biofertiliser and renewable energy. The biofertiliser will be supplied to local farmers for use on their fields, while the energy generated will power the plant itself, with any surplus energy exported to the national grid to provide power for homes.
Residents don’t need to do anything yet. Letters are being sent to every household whose collections are due to start in September. We will let you know the specific start date for your address when we deliver your starter pack and leaflet.
If you do not get a letter or starter pack in August it means your household is in phase two and we'll be in touch with more information about your start in due course.
Councillor Andrew Harvey, Adur’s cabinet member for environment, said:
“It’s great news that food waste collections will soon be starting in Adur. We know that lots of residents already try to reduce the amount of food they throw away, but some food waste is inevitable. Once collections start, your food waste recycling bin will always be emptied no matter how little it contains.”
Councillor Martin McCabe, Worthing's cabinet member for environment, said:
“Food waste collections have already proved successful in other areas of West Sussex and I’m sure Worthing residents will embrace this new service too. By recycling our wasted food we will boost our local recycling rates and research has shown that when we separate our waste and see how much we throw away, we often end up changing our habits and wasting less in the long-run.”
More information and answers to some frequently asked questions can be found on our website:
(PR26-068)
Page last updated: 03 August 2026